606 E. 187th St.
Bronx, NY 10458
718-367-8198
It all began in the Bronx, 1925. Two brothers Rocco and Joe Delillo, having immigrated from Calabria, opened a pastry shop together in 1925. The located it amidst butchers, delicatessens, and pizzerias in the Heart of Little Italy in the Bronx. Rose and Nick Delillo started working here as soon as they could reach over the counter and tie a cookie box. Of course, their work didn’t stop there; back then you had no titles or positions. In the morning you would be stacking cookies in a tray or taking cannolis out of the fryer and in the afternoon you would be helping customers in the front. One man in particular, Luigi Florio, would one day be rewarded for all his hard work and dedication.
He began working in Delillo’s in the mid 1950s as a baker’s assistant and slowly moved up to head baker, learning all the techniques and recipes along the way. In the mid 1970’s , long after Rose’s father Joe passed away, he Luigi was offered a partnership in the business.
This marble-tabled little spot is dominated by a large deli case full of just about everything. Servers scurry about, and cappuccinos and espressos are the order of the day.
